1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to fishing equipment. In particular, the invention relates to accessories for freeing and retrieving fishing lures that are caught on underwater obstructions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fishing lures that become caught on logs, weeds, and other underwater obstructions are a major impediment to the enjoyment of sport fishing. Often, the lure is expensive and difficult or, if the particular model is no longer in production, impossible to replace. Since some fishermen attach great personal value to their favorite lures, this can make the loss of these lures especially painful.
Numerous devices have been invented to retrieve fishing lures from underwater obstructions. Many make use of variously shaped weighted bodies intended to knock the lure off the underwater obstruction. Some devices also include short chains, such as the structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,493, issued to O'Brien. These chains are intended to catch one or more of the lure's hooks so that the lure can be pulled loose from the underwater obstruction. These devices generally do not provide a simple and convenient means for playing out, reeling in and storing the cable attached to the retriever. In addition, since the cable used in these devices is played out manually, the retriever can be let out too quickly or unevenly, causing the retriever to disengage from the fishing line or become snarled itself on an underwater obstruction. The cable can also become snarled during retrieval. Since the retriever is being used under circumstances which are already aggravatingly inconvenient, the retriever should introduce as little additional inconvenience as possible.